I just read Gladiator. Superman was clearly ripped off from it, except for the costume, vision tricks, and alien origin. The book is kind of a combination of Superman and the later Batman in terms of alienation. Sure Supe’s character was very different, but I doubt the Wylie character would have appealed to the kiddies.
The consensus is that Superman owes a lot to Wylie’s Gladiator (I’ve got a copy, too) and to John W. Campbell’s Aarn Munro stories, and to other pulp influences (the costume doesn’t come from either of those, but the “born on a heavier planet” deal is clearly from Campbell).
Hancock* anyone?
That version is infamous for having superman have sex with LL before losing his powers…YET SHE LIVES!!
It’s probably just me, but Superman is just not a very appealing or interesting character. Maybe it is because he is not human that it is hard to relate. I mean Spiderman is relatable beacuse it is about adolescense and trying to find your place in the world. Batman is about how we harness our darker impulses and vigilantism.
Superman is about an alien who comes to the US and fights bad guys.
I give you Gina Torres. She’d make a terrific Wonder Woman.
Superman is just too hard to make interesting.
Superman was interesting in The Dark Knight Returns and The Death of Superman/Funeral for a Friend, etc. That was it.
(never mind - I referenced Gladiator without reading the thread. I go to my room now.)
Rina Torres just looks like lynda carter. Might as well just CG lynda.
Hell of an end in the wiki synopsis!
I think being a comedy was the main requirement.
The Superman movie they need to make is the one with the bottled city of Kandor, Brainiac, Jimmy Olsen’s disguise trunk, Lois getting kidnapped and/or married at least three times each, Red K, Supergirl, Comet, Streaky, Krypto, the Legion Of Super-Heroes, the Legion Of Super-Pets, the Superman Emergency Squad, and Titano the Super-Ape.
and then, AFTER the opening credits roll…
Seriously, quit trying to be relevant and modern. Go Mort Weisinger crazy, guys!
Not to sound overly reactionary, or anything, but no.
What? No Bizarros?
and a super-flashback with his robot-nanny.
And a Superboy perpetually set in a Norman Rockwell 1930s Smallville.
I still think the third Batman movie should feature Superman as the villain - whether by way of being mind-controlled, or maybe just going crazy totalitarian “I’m tired of saving you, so I’m going to run things my way” mode.
Yes, yes, yes! When I was watching Sky Captain, I was constantly thinking “where is Superman”. He belongs in that setting. I just don’t think the Superman concept translate well into our current world.
The trick is making the retro setting relevant to contemporary viewers without changing the setting too much. I really enjoyed Sky Captain. I’m not sure why it didn’t do well financially. Was it not marketed well? Is 30s pulp too unfamiliar?
If you want to know why it is so difficult to make a good superman movie this Kevin Smith speech is appropriate.